The Journey of the Destined
by Imperius
Summary: UPDATED 9/4/02! Takato Matsuki: Thief. Jeri Musami-Katou: Princess. Henry Wong: Pilot. Rika Nonaka: General. Ryo Akiyama: Archer. And thus begins our journey of action, adventure, forgotten pasts, and sacrifice. Please review.
1. An Unexpected Birthday Party

J16: Well, here we go. My next big fic, The Journey of the Destined.  
  
Takato: Boy, what a corny name.  
  
J16: Shut up. *Ahem* Anyway, this is set in a fantasy world, called Aramenia, run by three different kingdoms. The Kingdoms of Delali, Bransworth, and Justines. They are all in peace, except for Delali, who's newly instated king plans to...  
  
Ryo: Who's spoiling now, huh?  
  
J16: Um... On a last note, don't worry, I'll still finish "Friendship and Love," so don't worry about that.  
  
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Birthday Party  
  
Newly claimed eighteen-year-old Takato Matsuki didn't expect anyone to celebrate for his annual birth date. But he was proven wrong that night, when he entered his run-down house.  
  
Takato was a short boy for his age, but he still towered over most females. Speaking of females, he had a way with the womanly eye, getting their attention in the most positive way. Usually his charm would end up getting a temporary mate or two, but seldom did his relationships last for more than a moon's day. He carried a pair of daggers that he used with efficient accuracy whenever he journeyed across the plains of Aramenia and encountered deadly monsters, for example the dinosaur-like Black Tyrannos, whom were usually feared by others.  
  
Takato was one with lots of courage and confidence in whatever he did, which would also get him in trouble during times. But being a skilled thief, he got his way around perils and usually escaped unscathed.  
  
The sun was beginning its westward journey as the brown-haired boy approached his shelter alongside his two friends, Kazu and Kenta. They too, were thieves, and they also used daggers to defend themselves. Though not as skilled as Takato was at the job, they weren't incompetent.  
  
"So, Chumley," Kazu started, "what say we go into your house for a minute and talk? I got a half-hour or so."  
  
Takato looked at him. "Kazu, Kenta, friends of mine, I wouldn't mind if you stayed over for the night, for I enjoy the company of you guys."  
  
"Well," said Kenta, "better for us, I guess."  
  
Kazu held the front door to Takato's house open with his right hand as he held his other up in the air, "Your humble abode, sire," he mocked. Takato gave a derided smile, then shrugged as he walked in, followed by Kenta, then finally Kazu.  
  
"Surprise!" The deafening exclamation of revelation echoed throughout the house. Takato closed his eyes out of surprise, but then eased up as he looked around and saw tens of his good friends smiling and holding gifts for which he assumed was for him.  
  
He shook his head in surprise, which probably made his companions' mission to shock him successful. "What is this about?" he queried, though he already knew the answer to that already.  
  
His friend Kazu sighed. "Does a man forget his own birthday? Sheesh, Chumley, you sure know your dates."  
  
Takato shrugged his latest stupidity off and looked at his table. It was full of goodies, snacks, drinks, and meats in a quantity that was sure to satisfy the occupants. His stomach ached, for he had not eaten his supper yet.  
  
"When do we dig in?" he asked his friends.  
  
Kenta shrugged. "Whenever you want."  
  
Takato greatly obliged as he grabbed a plate and snatched some salad and pasta. He had a large appetite that could only be matched by his friends and no one else. Usually at the parties he had been invited to-which was rare because of his status as a thief-he was the first at the table, snatching some food faster than he snatches money.  
  
********  
  
Three plates later, Takato had his fill, but he hadn't counted on dessert.  
  
"Alright!" Kazu sat up from his seat, mouth full of chips. "Bring on the cake!" He then looked at Takato, who already looked like he was going to pass out for overdosing on food. "You like chocolate, don't you?"  
  
Takato sighed. "Too full," he moaned.  
  
Kazu ignored his partner and went into the dining room and pulled out a double layer cake from there, widening Takato's eyes even more.  
  
"I told you, I can't eat anymore!" He complained. Again Kazu ignored him.  
  
"Do you need me to force feed you? At least let us sing in celebration. It's your eighteenth birthday, for crying out loud."  
  
"Well," answered Takato, "do what you must, just don't stuff my face with that concoction. I'll bet you made that cake."  
  
"Heavens, no," retorted Kazu. "I can't cook worth a damn. Freddy here made it."  
  
Takato looked at his superior, "You can cook, boss?"  
  
Freddy, a middle aged man, laughed. "There are some things you didn't know about me before."  
  
Takato shrugged as the other dozen in the room merrily sang "Birthday to You."  
  
*********  
  
The moon was directly above the world when the people began to leave Takato's house. He himself, however, was asleep on the living room settee, slumbering peacefully.  
  
Kazu looked at the expired boy, then at his friend Kenta. "He sure gets worn out easily."  
  
The blue-haired thief nodded. "Kind of makes me tired just looking at him," said he.  
  
Kazu snickered to a minimum. "Come, let us go back to our houses, for our friend needs his sleep." Kenta nodded as he and his friend left Takato asleep on the couch, dreaming about princesses and generals.  
  
*********  
  
A week's journey away, the renowned airship Griddenburg sailed through the starlit sky, making no trace but the change of wind direction it blew.  
  
Seventeen-year-old Henry Wong, son of renowned airship inventor Janyu Wong, stood outside and looked out at the starry void, with nothing but the muffled sounds of engines as the airship sailed on to neighborly kingdom Justines.  
  
Henry heard the sounds of approaching footsteps, and abruptly turned around and saw his pre-teen redheaded sister standing a good thirty feet away. "Suzy, you know I can hear you from this far away, even when you're trying to be stealthy."  
  
"I know," she answered, "I just wanted to check you. You know, make sure you're alert. It's about midnight, and you're not even tired?"  
  
The blue-haired boy turned back around away from his sister and looked over again. "I've been staying up late recently, helping father put the finishing touches on this airship. I guess I'm used to it." He hung his head down. "You should be tired, you probably ought to go to bed right now."  
  
Suzy smiled, then walked up to Henry, who then looked back at her. "Will you take me to bed, then?" she cheerfully asked.  
  
"Goodness, Suzy, you're twelve, not six," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her down the deck.  
  
"Yeah, but it's your job as my brother," she returned.  
  
*********  
  
Henry looked at his sister, who was slumbering soundly in her bed on the middle floor of the airship. He loved her, yes, but she shouldn't be going on this job with him. This was a newly built airship, and despite the ingenious technologies and ideas their father had come up with in the past, it wasn't completely flawless, and he kept getting the notion that something could go wrong.  
  
Henry quickly shrugged the pessimistic thoughts from his mind and went back up to the engine room, proceeding to check on his employees.  
  
"So how are we this fine morning?" Henry nodded to his workers.  
  
"Technically, it's still the evening," one guy answered.  
  
"Enough with sarcasm, just make sure everything runs smoothly," he answered, as he retreated up to the deck to observe the stars once again.  
  
Henry noticed that it was to get colder the next half-hour, so he got his jacket and put it on, as he looked out again. 'Those idiots,' he thought to himself, scoffing here and there. 'Just goes to show you how stupid lower class people are. I don't even know why my father hired them in the first place.'  
  
Because of his father's success in the invention business, most particularly the airship, the Wong family had received much wealth in the past several years, giving them the status of the highest class. Despite the extreme volume of fortune his father raked in, he and Suzy still felt as if that the wealth did not buy everything he wanted. Ok, he had his own module of transportation, and soon he might have an airship of his own, but for the majority of his life, Henry had been neglected by his parents. Of course, his father was too busy to even pay a decent amount of attention to his own son, but then their mother...  
  
Henry and Suzy's mother had become an explorer during the waxing years of their lives. She was very successful in journeying and collecting forgotten artifacts, until that one day, when their father came home one day, crying for the first time that Henry and Suzy had ever seen. He remembered those words that came out of his father's mouth for his lifetime-  
  
"It was snowy. She decided to leave the kingdom."  
  
Ever since then, Henry had felt a bit of insecureness, even when Janyu had raked in the huge fortune. Having a nice dwelling and lots of friends was good, but still...  
  
"Captain Wong!" Came a cry from down under. "One of the engines is failing!"  
  
Henry immediately struck himself awake as he raced down the deck and to the engine room.  
  
"What cursed luck has befallen us, worker?" he demanded.  
  
"One of the engines just blew out all of a sudden, it seems that there is a minor malfunction in its operating power!"  
  
"Minor?" asked Henry. "Minor? It seems that if things don't get resolved soon, this 'minor' malfunction is going to destroy this airship! Get the hell to work, everyone, if you want to live another day!" Suddenly his credo was abruptly interrupted by the violent shake of the airship.  
  
"What the hell is that?" he demanded. "Figure out what that is, this instant!"  
  
On cue, about ten workers raced out of the engine room and down the hall to the pressure gauge storage, where Henry suspected the blast originated from.  
  
"Henry!" Came the feminine voice that Henry managed to discover as his sister, despite the ruckus. "What's going on?"  
  
"Come here," he beckoned to her. Suzy ran up to Henry and put her arms around him. "Don't worry, it'll be okay."  
  
Henry's nerves shook him as well as Suzy. He didn't know what to do; although he had piloted these mechanisms before, he had never been in this situation, nor was he trained for it. It could also have been for lack of experience.  
  
Fire immediately lit up the room as Henry and Suzy looked behind them and saw an explosion litter the darkness of the night up. He instantaneously realized where the source of the blast came from. "The pressure storage!" he exclaimed. "This place is going to blow!" He looked at his kid sister, who had the look of shock on her face. It had to be coming from her face, but he and she needed to get out. "Come, Suzy, let us make haste and get our parachutes."  
  
Suzy didn't need to be told twice as Henry led her to the emergency storage room, shakes of little force and of big magnitude echoing and vibrating through the ship. Henry grabbed a pair of parachutes, giving one to her, who made no hesitation to put it on. "Where's everyone else?" she questioned, but Henry shrugged her off.  
  
"They're a bit slow, let's go!" exclaimed Henry as they reached the top deck, despite the noise and explosions throughout the airship. He got the gut feeling that his father's airship, the Griddenburg, wasn't going to hold up for much longer. Looking over the rail of the burning ship, he looked at his sister. "Let us jump now! May God's grace be with you, Suzy!" he said, hopping over the edge, leaving Suzy behind.  
  
Suzy held her breath for a second, then leaped off her father's burning ship, not knowing the dangers she and her brother would face on the land.  
  
**********  
  
There was much talk in the kingdom of Justines, for the lonely princess would finally have a prince to be with.  
  
For the male, he was of course excited, that he would be part of the royal family, and that he got to marry a beautiful princess; an event that every boy dreamed of. This boy's name was Grant Juranio.  
  
The higher royal family, the king and queen, were of course happy for this occasion, as well as the boy's parents. But there was one who objected the whole wedding plan.  
  
That was the princess, Jeri Musami. She was a little before seventeen, and she had a lot of spunk to go with it. Her adolescent actions included yelling at her own parents, sneaking out at night, among other extremities.  
  
She was beautiful, indeed. Long auburn hair went down to her shoulders and her face was looked primarily upon the male gender, but there were female eyes as well who sought her in jealousy and envy. Through all this however, Jeri kept a cool head for her citizens, for whenever she roamed the streets at day, she would give a welcome gesture or start a conversation with one.  
  
When Jeri had heard news of her new fiancée, she was livid to say the least. She shut the door to her room, opening it only to her servant who served her three-a-day meals.  
  
In fact, the only person Jeri liked in the castle was her own handmaiden, the one who took care of her, gave her food, and the like. She talked with her throughout one night about the absurd decision her parents had made pertaining to the courtship of she and Grant, offering her opinions on the whole thing.  
  
"What the hell were they thinking?"  
  
"They must have been asleep the whole meeting."  
  
Yes, that was what the conversation mostly held of, but they couldn't resist feeding off the other's negativeness. Jeri, of course, liked it because she had someone who agreed that the whole thing was stupid, while the handmaiden thought of it as good fortune to have an extended conversation with the princess.  
  
"Maiden Ella," Princess Jeri said one night up in her quarters. "You know how long it is until I am to be married to this Sir Juranio, do you not?"  
  
The middle-aged woman nodded. "Yes, your majesty. Five days."  
  
Jeri got up in her seat immediately, a move that flinched Ella. "I shall run away from this kingdom. I am not to be married to a man whom I barely know."  
  
Ella sat up, worry showing in her eyes. "What are you saying?"  
  
"I don't want to be a part of this...this...monarchy where the royal family can just marry a man to their daughter for the benefits of their kingdom!"  
  
"But, Princess, I beg of you-"  
  
"Hold your tongue, servant!" exclaimed the princess, holding her hand up.  
  
The maiden got down on her knees. "I plead forgiveness, my lady. I am sorry."  
  
Jeri eased up a good degree and offered a hand to the servant. "Please rise." Immediately, Ella sat up and nodded her head. "I know it may not sound good, but I shall return when I feel things may be better again."  
  
"How long do you plan to be gone?" The maiden asked.  
  
"I don't know," said the princess. "Whenever Father and Mother get their schedules down to see me fit." With that, Jeri kissed Ella on the forehead. "I bid thee farewell, that I shall see you soon."  
  
"Princess, please be careful."  
  
**********  
  
The princess did not want this to happen, but she felt it was for the better, seeing that it might put some sense into her parents that one cannot be married by force, and that it had to come together, like a puzzle.  
  
As weird as it was to see a princess at the height of moon running through the kingdom of Justines, the wandering citizens and explorers gave little attention to the sixteen-year old young princess. She liked it better that way; no one disturbs her, she disturbs no one.  
  
A good twenty yards away, there stood a small group, no more than six, people dressed in black robes, watching Princess Jeri's every move.  
  
"We shall get her when she's a good ten leagues away from Justine borderline," the one in front said.  
  
***********  
  
To be continued... 


	2. The Capturing Of Princess Jeri Musami

Chapter 2: The Capturing of Princess Jeri Musami  
  
  
  
He woke up that morning with a huge headache, thoughts hitting his head like a sledgehammer. He checked his clock in the living room: 12:14.  
  
"Hey, Chumly!" He heard a voice from outside. He got off of his couch and looked out the door. His friend Kazu stood there, calling him out.  
  
"What is it? I just woke up, you know..." he groggily said, rubbing his eyes.  
  
Companion Kazu held up a piece of paper. "I can't believe I got invited!"  
  
"To what?" he curiously asked.  
  
"Well, Takato, I'd have thought, out of everyone, you would know what I'm talking about." He handed the invitation to Takato, who snatched it from his hands and started to read it.  
  
YOU ARE INVITED!  
  
KING JOSE KATOU'S ROYAL CORONATION!  
  
ANNUNCIATION, DINNER, AND DANCE TO FOLLOW!  
  
THIS FRIDAY, 9 O'CLOCK AT THE CASTLE HALL!  
  
"That's today! I never get invited to these kinds of things," Kazu excitedly said. "When did you get yours?"  
  
That was the problem. Takato didn't have one. He wasn't invited...  
  
"Oh, I got it...somewhere..." he lied, not willing to admit the truth. Inside, he couldn't believe it! He always had good grounds with the Royal Family, despite him being a thief, they liked him.  
  
"So, you going?" Takato snapped up in an instant.  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure....I mean, of course I'll go," he whispered.  
  
"Alright, Chumly, spill it."  
  
Takato took a deep breath. "I didn't get invited. I never got an invitation," he admitted, waiting for the laugh of humiliation to befall upon him. Instead, there was none.  
  
"I'm sure the mail carrier screwed up," Kazu reassured him. "And besides, the Royal Family knows you well; they wouldn't refuse your entrance."  
  
Takato nodded. The crazy guy was right after all. "You're right. So, you staying here until the party?"  
  
"You bet."  
  
Takato laughed. Kazu was a great friend to him, always dependable and knowing the right thing to say.  
  
"You got anything to eat?"  
  
**************  
  
Jeri Musami sighed. It had been only a day since she had left her kingdom, and she was already low on supplies. She was used to always having what she wanted and brought to her by her servants, but she had decided to go solo on this. It was her intent to run away and make her parents feel bad for going against her wishes, and therefore, have to cancel the wedding.  
  
Sure, she liked boys, but boys that she had known for a long time...  
  
-Just like the one before it all started...  
  
She shook her head violently. No. That was not to be brought up again. Yes, there was something about this Grant Juranio that startled her, reminded her of something before, but she could not brush up on it exactly. It was weird how people, though different, could have so much in common with each other.  
  
The sun was blazing down on the girl as she sat down on a nearby rock in the middle of Justines Forest. It was still part of Justine Territory, so she would have to keep walking before the soldiers would be forced to go back.  
  
She looked at her outfit she had picked up; a blue knee-length skirt and a white blouse to complement it. The fabric was strong, therefore it absorbed heat. After taking a sip of her supplied water, Jeri got up and continued down the woods.  
  
-They're here for you.  
  
Jeri immediately turned around and glanced behind her, but saw nothing with exception of the green forest surrounding her. Looking ahead, she found the inviting sight of the Aramenia Plains, where equal rule stood for the three kingdoms Bransworth, Justines, and Delali. The encouraging view incited her to move faster, escaping that wretched monarchy.  
  
*************  
  
"Damn boots."  
  
That was the teenager by the name of Ryo Akiyama, archer of Kingdom Bransworth. He was very skilled at the bow, taking enemies down with ease with the arrows, and many a girl were interested in him. He was very handsome, and very smart, two ingredients to the dream man for a woman. He stood tall, as most men of his area did, and had brown hair that was spiked with some kind of gel.  
  
But, of course, there were some tweaks of him. Say for fact one that whenever he does meet a girl most fabulous to him, he'd either make a fool of himself or scare the girl away. Suffice to say, he wasn't good with the ladies.  
  
He was accompanied by two men; their names were of no importance.  
  
"Ryo," one of his partners queried, "shouldn't we pick up the pace a little bit?"  
  
"If you didn't notice, I said, 'damn boots,'" he replied. "There seems to be a rock in my left shoe or something." He sat down on the grassy plains of Aramenia, set his bow and quiver on the ground, and removed his shoe. "Besides, we need to take a break. Hand me that canteen, will you?" he directed to the other.  
  
-Click-  
  
"Shh," he commanded, holding his index finger in the air. "Do you hear that?"  
  
"I assure you, Ryo, that it was not I..."  
  
"Not that, you idiot! Listen..." he softly whispered, waiting for the sound to grow. It was one of most disturbance, of course he'd heard clicks before, but this one was different...  
  
-Click, clack, the noise grew louder.  
  
"Horses," he silently said to the two, "They're being commanded by riders, I can't see them, but they're heading east, right behind those rocks..."  
  
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!"  
  
Ryo heard a loud shriek, immediately knowing the gender of the yell.  
  
"A damsel in distress, we must save her!" He directed to his two companions.  
  
"But Ryo, this matter is of no business to us-"  
  
"It is if there's a girl involved! Now let's follow!" Ryo and his buddies quickly dashed up and started running toward the horse riders. There were six of them, and one of them held a beautiful auburn-haired girl. "Wow, she is pretty," he said to himself.  
  
Ryo didn't notice how close he and his friends were to the riders dressed in black robes. Too close, as a matter of fact...  
  
"Fire!" Came a shout that Ryo assumed came from the front runner, who was also holding the girl.  
  
-Oh crap...  
  
Immediately, the two riders hanging behind pulled out a bow positioned on their horses' sides, armed them with arrows, and let go of the string, the projectiles flying with deadly accuracy. The two guys with Ryo tried to dodge, but they were too slow as both were pierced square in the chest with the arrows. Their bodies shook back, then fell to the ground, dead.  
  
Ryo noticed the two riders aiming their next darts at them.  
  
-Time to retaliate.  
  
The black riders released the arrows, but Ryo dodged them to the right, leaping into a somersault on the grassy plain. In mid-motion, he grabbed his bow and two arrows of his own out of the quiver on his back, armed the bow with both, turned it sideways, and released.  
  
The arrows had just enough angle and power that it separated and nailed the two riders in the stomachs. Their bodies fell limp, and being connected to their horses, were dangling as the horses continued on.  
  
When Ryo came to, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to catch up to the riders on horses. He didn't have one of his own, so he had the horrible notion of giving up.  
  
-My friends are dead, all because of me...  
  
He quickly shook his head. That's how battles are sometimes; they result in sacrifices. He would have to also, if it required the survival of his group.  
  
-Tracks...  
  
Ryo looked down and noticed the circle-like prints in the ground. Fortunately for him, the horses had left tracks for Ryo to follow.  
  
-Maybe I can save the damsel in distress after all...  
  
The brown-haired teenage archer from Bransworth continued on, searching for the captured princess of Justines.  
  
*************  
  
"Ow, my head..."  
  
The twelve-year-old Suzy Wong shook the pain from her head. Even though she had a parachute, it was quite a fall. She didn't know where she was at all; thank God for her, she had a backpack full of supplies for situations like these.  
  
She opened up the knapsack and looked for its contents. There were a couple candy bars, some water, and a change of clothes.  
  
-I like candy, but I'm going to be sick of it if I don't find anything else to eat.  
  
Noticing that her clothes were a bit dirty from the fall down to the middle of nowhere, she stripped herself of her pajamas and put on a red shirt with Capri's that went below her knees.  
  
-I gotta find a place to clean my clothes.  
  
She dug in further to her backpack to see if anything remained. She scrounged up nothing else, except for a few pieces of Delali currency. Hopefully that would carry her should she come to a town.  
  
-Henry, where are you?  
  
Suzy gave a deep sigh. Her brother, who had always promised to be there for her, was not here, as she figured something must have happened to him.  
  
***************  
  
Takato didn't have the best attire, so when he decided to go to the new King's coronation, he sported a white polo shirt with a black vest and Khakis.  
  
"Good job, Takato, you look handsome. Now let's go," Kazu said to him. Kenta was also there. The three thieves exited out of the house and headed toward the Castle.  
  
It was night now, and the moon shone over the kingdom of Delali like a night light. Eventually the three friends made it to the entrance of the castle hall, where the party was being held. They were about to enter, when...  
  
"Halt," came a guard. Kazu and Kenta rolled their eyes, while Takato started sweating nervously. "Show your invitation."  
  
Kazu and Kenta held their invitations up. The guard nodded to the two, leaving Takato. "And you, sir?"  
  
"Um..." Kazu started.  
  
"I kind of left my invitation at my home," Takato said slowly. "I guess it's not too much trouble if I go in, I mean, you guys know me pretty well..."  
  
The guard stood straight. "I'm sorry, Takato Matsuki, but you must have your invitation presented here in order for you to attend. Besides, one was not issued to you."  
  
Kenta gave the guard a look. "Look, Guard whatever-your-name-is, you know damn well..."  
  
Takato didn't want this. He gave Kenta a hard elbow in the ribs. "Shut up, will you?" he whispered to him, which prompted him to stop. "Go ahead, you guys," he motioned to Kazu and Kenta. They stood still for a moment, shook their heads, and walked in.  
  
Kazu turned his head one last time and saw the wink in Takato's eyes.  
  
"Oh man," Kazu said. "Chumley's going to do it again."  
  
**************  
  
Takato walked around the castle. He had to attend; he was missing food, dancing, fun, girls, and just about everything else in between.  
  
-How to get in?  
  
He turned a corner and noticed a guard standing in front of a back entrance. He was alone; at least what Takato saw. Grabbing a piece of paper he found on the ground, he slowly strolled to the entrance, getting the guard's attention.  
  
"I'm here for the party," he said casually, as if talking about the weather.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but you cannot enter through here. This is not to the hall," the man said sternly.  
  
"Yeah but," Takato was up to the guard now. "I have the invitation right here-" immediately, Takato threw a right cross at the guard, knocking him out instantly as it blew him across the face. Seeing his accomplishment, he quickly dragged the unconscious body over to the nearby trees as he stripped the man of his clothes and put them on. They were a bit tight on him, and he didn't like the idea of red and blue mixed. He also grabbed the knife, knowing that he may have to use the weapon.  
  
Realizing that he couldn't get through the main entrance because he had already been thrown out there, he went to the entrance that the knocked-out guard was stationed. He closed the door behind him and walked down the halls of the castle. It was carpeted with red, and candles were lit everywhere. He had been here before, because he was a good friend with the previous king, and he knew the establishment pretty well.  
  
Takato looked at a nearby clock which read 8:30. He still had a half-hour to burn.  
  
-Might as well see who this bastard is that didn't invite me.  
  
Takato took a left down the lighted hall as he came across a set of stairs. He was sure that the new king was in the conference room; he just knew it. Besides, there wouldn't be guards there if he wasn't there.  
  
He approached the two guards positioned at opposite sides of the double doors at the top of the stairs. "Guard 15c, to clean up refreshments for the king," he said with all the confidence in the world.  
  
The guard on the left nodded. "Go on."  
  
Takato entered the door smiling. It paid to know how things work in the kingdom.  
  
The door revealed another stairway, this time going even further up. Takato sighed.  
  
-I need to get in shape.  
  
He eventually reached another set of doors which were not guarded. He took a deep breath and opened the door.  
  
Out of all the rooms in the castle, he had not been in the conference room, not once, and it was all new to him. It was bigger than he thought, the table sure to hold at least twenty people, though there were only about six people. Three of them were robed, one was a physically-fit man with an armored vest and roughed up jeans. Takato did not know who he was. Another was a red-haired teenage girl, no older than he, who wore a brown jacket- cape, a purple shirt, and tan Capri's whom Takato immediately recognized as none other than General Rika Nonaka, tough-girl.  
  
And the third one, well, Takato had never seen before, so he assumed he was the new ruler. The idiot who either didn't invite him, or got the invitation screwed up with the mail carrier. He was middle-aged, and he wore a red robe and a weird-looking tunic that made the thief lightly snicker.  
  
-That guy needs a fashion check-  
  
He immediately stood erect, eavesdropping to the conversation that was being held.  
  
The King spoke up first. "I assume your ideas are being carried out as planned?"  
  
One of the black robe guys nodded his head. "Yes, your Majesty. Princess Jeri Musami of Justines has been kidnapped as of 1400 hours and she is being held captive as we speak."  
  
-Princess of Justines?  
  
King Jose nodded. "And you two, General Nonaka and Dramen, you have gathered your armies?"  
  
The built dude replied. "We are ready anytime, your Majesty."  
  
"This army will crush any opposition that Bransworth and Justines may throw at us," General Nonaka added.  
  
"That is good," King Jose answered. "As long as we have it."  
  
The king got up from his chair and walked around. "You all must make damn well sure that it does not get stolen. I did not plan this for fifteen years of overtaking this kingdom just so you could lose it. You know that this is the future of Delali we have in our hands, and you guys had better not screw this up."  
  
-What is it?  
  
The king turned back to his seat. "We must attack as soon as possible. We should probably go for Bransworth first; they're the strongest, and it would be good to get them out of the way. General Draman, will you take care of that?"  
  
"My army will destroy the kingdom with little effort."  
  
"Then I entrust you with this." Out of his pocket King Jose pulled out a necklace, holding a small stone. "The Stone of Power will be more than enough for you and your army to take out that pathetic area." He handed it to the General.  
  
Before Draman could take it, the king closed his hand. "You'd better not lose it." He opened his hand again, letting Dramen snatch it.  
  
General Rika Nonaka shook her head. "I must be excused right now," she said. The king nodded.  
  
"As you wish." With that, the seventeen-year old general got up from her seat and exited the room past Takato.  
  
-I can't believe what is going on. So this is the bastard that will rule our kingdom...  
  
"You there!" The king called to Takato. He stood up straight, nervously.  
  
"Yes, your Majesty!" He exclaimed.  
  
-Oh man, things are about to get bad...  
  
"I believe you have a job to do," the King pointed out. Takato nodded, walking up to King Jose's table and picked up the remaining dishes that the attendants had left for him to get and put back in the castle's kitchen. Takato tried to hide his face, but Jose (as we will now call him) caught sight of him.  
  
"By any chance, you couldn't be a Matsuki, would you? Your eyes give it away," Jose pointed out.  
  
-Oh crap, man...  
  
"That is correct," he spat out, nearly dropping the plates.  
  
"Takato Matsuki, if I am not mistaken. Your father and I had been good friends before he died, you know?"  
  
"Um, no sire, I did not know that."  
  
Jose chuckled. "I didn't know you were a guard of this castle. You are dismissed."  
  
-Man, good to get out of here. I've heard enough.  
  
Takato bowed to the so-called 'king,' turned around and exited the room. When he was gone, Jose looked at General Dramen.  
  
"He is a thief, right?"  
  
Dramen nodded. "That is right."  
  
Jose nodded. "I also want you to take care of him. I'm afraid he may be a wrench in our plans.  
  
***********  
  
To be continued... 


	3. I Save A Princess, And All I Got Was Thi...

BD:  Well, it's been a while since I updated this story, I've been busy w/ my new friends, Angel13, Hoobastanker, and Fiery-Chan.  And no, it will not be a Juryo.  In fact, this really isn't focused on romance, though it won't be completely ignored.  Now that that is taken care of………

Chapter 3:  I Save A Princess, And All I Got Was This Stupid T-shirt.

Holy crap.  Takato had some suspicions about the new guy, but to plot to attack Justines and Bransworth?  Sheesh!  He ran down the hallway corridor, until he came upon a figure.

He stopped for a brief moment.  The girl in front of him, she stood slightly shorter than he, but she was also built well.  She had a sheath by her left side which held a sword.  

-Oh man, not her………

The red-haired general stared at him.  "Ok, Matsuki, are you gonna come in quietly or am I gonna have to beat you to a bloody pulp and then drag you in?"

-She's not opening the welcome mat.

Takato stood motionless, then put his head down.  "Ok, General Rika," he said, holding his arms out, as if to be arrested.  Rika looked at him in a weird way, then approached him.  She prepared to restrain him, but Takato had other ideas.  He lifted his right hand up and wrapped it around Rika's back.

Rika, however, had been trained in these situations.  She was a general, after all.  She swung her right foot and knocked Takato off his feet.  The thief landed on the ground with a hard thud that echoed throughout the halls, knocking him out.

"You shouldn't mess with a general," she said to the unconscious body.  She looked over and saw three guards staring at her direction.  "I will take care of this."

**************  
  
Takato awoke to the splash of cold water on his face.  

-What the?

His senses returned to him immediately, noticing that he was in a forest outside of the castle.  He grabbed a dagger from his pocket, and was about to get up abruptly.  He suddenly retreated when he saw a sword pointed straight at his neck.  "Oh, Rika, what a surprise," he scoffed, putting the dagger away.

Rika sighed.  "You'd better watch your tongue, Matsuki," she swirled her sword around his head, "or I'll have to cut it off for you."

"Ok, calm down," he said, waving his hands.  "I won't say another word about this situation.  Except, why is he doing this?  Not a good first move for a king."

"Oh, that."  Suddenly, her sword of death was pulled back into her sheath, allowing Takato to breathe normally.  "Look, I'm not going to slit your throat for overhearing.  In fact, I'm glad that you did."

"Say what?"

"Look, I want to set you free.  Ok, overhearing a private conversation involving the king and trying to attack a general usually would warrant a death slip.  Most generals would have thrown you to the dump by now.  But I have a better idea for you." 

Takato was confused.  She should have slit his throat by now; as it stands, the guy is still alive.

Rika handed Takato a piece of paper.  "Take this," she said.  It's a letter from me addressed to the kingdom of Justines.  It will warn them everything they need to know to prepare for anything our new 'king' throws at us.  Give it to the king there."

"What?"

"Look, Matsuki, I don't like what is going on here.  My sworn duty," she said, striking her chest, "is to protect the kingdom of Delali, not force other kingdoms to fight us.  Obviously King Katou doesn't know that."

"But won't you get executed for betrayal?"

"I know what I am doing," she responded.  "And if I do get caught, I will fight to be free, or die trying.  We don't want a rookie king screwing everything up, now don't we?"  
  


Takato smiled.  "Yeah.  But one last question.  Why did you have to knock me out?"

"Makes me look good in front of the other guards.  Now go, because this whole kingdom, as well as Justines and Bransworth, depend on you, Takato Matsuki."  With that, the guard walked back into the castle.

"Thanks for the pressure, Rika," he said, holding the note in his hand.

-I'll need some help.

******************  
  
 "Suzy?  Suzy!"

-What a stupid thing to do.

Number one, Suzy was probably miles away from where brother Henry Wong was.  Second, he might attract the unneeded attention of monsters running loose.

-Monsters running loose.

Henry shook his head.  He sure hoped Suzy was safe on her own; the poor girl was only twelve years old.

******************  
  
 "Wheeeee!!!"  Exclaimed the girl as she traveled across the plains.  She had come across a guy dressed in robes who was willing to give her a ride to the nearest town, and she accepted it.  So, she hopped on the guy's noble steed and galloped to the small town of Marysville.

Marysville was very small indeed, the population not going much over 500 people.  It was peaceful, yet tiny, but people who lived there seemed to like it.  It was dark already when Suzy and the man entered the town.

"I'm sorry, little girl, but I do not live here," the robed guy said.  He handed her a few pieces of money.  "This should give you a couple of days at the Marysville Inn.  Good luck on finding your way around."  The man in robes turned a 180, and galloped off.

Suzy wasn't sure what to do.  Living here on her own for now, without her brother, who had promised to be with her always, and held a little bit of money, along with her default money, set to stay in an inn until Henry came around.

-This is going to be fun.

******************  
  
 "How much is the current rate for visitors here?"  She asked the person up at the front desk of the inn.

"It's 35 Delali credits, sweetie," the woman responded.

She checked her pocket.  She had more than enough; 2,419 to be exact.  It paid to be rich.  Suzy handed the woman the papered currency.  "I think this'll pay for about three days.  I'll pay more if I have to stay here any longer."

The woman nodded.  "Enjoy your stay here at Marysville Inn, sweetie."  She handed her a key, which she took from the hand.

-What's up with her and sweetie?

******************  
  
The plains of Aramenia were especially quiet that night, another advantage for stealthy Ryo Akiyama as he tried to rescue the damsel in distress.  It was very dark, allowing the teenage archer to sneak his way around and take each kidnapper out one by one.

He had followed the footsteps of the horses that had carried the kidnappers in black and the girl.  Eventually it had led him to a cave where he assumed the people were to stay the night.

-What a pretty girl, too………

Ryo shook his head.  No.  He had business to do.  He knew two were already dead, at the expense of his friends' lives, so there were four more to take care of.  From about 150 yards away, he noticed a suspect standing at the entrance of the cave.  The darkness hid Ryo well, so he used it to his advantage.

He thought about it, and figured he would try a different approach.  He casually walked toward the guard, strolling, whistling to himself.

The guard, though, would have none of it.  He charged Ryo, preparing to draw a bow out with an arrow.

-Shit.

Ryo reached into his quiver and pulled out his bow and an arrow.  He armed the bow, and released before the other guy in black did.  His arrow flew with amazing accuracy as it got the guard directly in the middle of his chest.  The man fell backward instantly, then breathed no more.

He approached the dead man.  He had a little blood trickling out from the wound, but the arrow was blocking the flow.  Ryo carefully stripped the man of his clothes, used some water from the canteen to wash the blood off, and put the robes on himself.  This was Ryo.  He was a master of disguise.

He walked casually into the cave, trying to find a way to get the girl out of there.  He weaved around loose rocks, sharp turns, until he came to an open room.  There stood a man in black, watching the beautiful girl, who was tied up in a chair.  Two others were sleeping on the ground.  Ryo spoke up.  "Ahem."

The man that was still awake did not turn around.  "You don't fool me, Akiyama."

-Huh?

The guy chuckled.  "Listen to this girl.  She screams.  She squirms.  Much like, 'her', don't you think?"

-It can't be………

"Messino, you bastard.  I guess you haven't forgotten about her, have you?"

"So have you, Akiyama."  The man, assumed known as Messino, laughed.  "It's almost familiar how something like this could bring back memories.  This was the exact same situation, was it not?  So what are you going to do?"

Ryo looked at him, then at the girl.  She sat there, tied up, helpless, crying.  It was too much like before.  "I………I don't know………"

Messino shook his head.  "You're still the same, Akiyama.  So hopeless to help her, I guess I'll have to make the first move."  The middle-aged man snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the two men stood up and picked up the swords that lay next to them.  Messino, meanwhile, had a sword of his own, and he threw it toward Ryo, who snatched it.  "I kind of like this situation.  If you can defeat these two guards of mine, then you can have the girl.  Me?  I'm not going to watch this, though I would be missing out."  The guy turned around and disappeared into the shadows, which Ryo assumed that an exit was there.

Jeri looked at the guy who was trying to save her.

-Who is he?  And why does he care about me?

"Be careful, whoever you are!"  She called to the guy.

Ryo smiled.  At least she was rooting for him.  He held his sword up, ready to defend against the two guards who approached him.  The fire was shining brightly, so the four in the room had clear sight of each other.

The guard on the right acted first.  He swung his sword at Ryo, but the teenager grabbed hold of his strong wrist and twisted it around, breaking it instantly and making him dropping the sword.  The other guard, meanwhile, tried to get in a cheap shot, but Ryo responded with a back kick with his left foot into the stomach of the black robed guy, who had his breath taken from him.  He focused his attention on that guy as he gave him an elbow straight in the face, knocking him out. 

The guy with the broken wrist tried to retaliate, but he could not pick his sword up.  Ryo walked up to him, kicked the sword away from the ground, then kicked the guy in the face, his body sprawling to the dirt ground.

Ryo smiled, proud of accomplishing his latest victory.  He looked at the girl, who was also smiling.

-She's more beautiful than what I had seen before.

He strayed from her face directly to her eyes.  Those pretty balls, staring innocence right at him.  This was it.  He slowly lowered his mouth towards hers………

"Ouch!"  He exclaimed as he felt a backhand to the side of his face.  He felt it, testing his mouth for breakage, then looked back at her.  "I guess we'll take this slowly," he admitted.

She nodded.  "Yes, we will."


End file.
